Subjunctive: Irregular Conjugations

Subjonctif : conjugaisons irrégulières

	Share / Tweet / Pin Me!

Many otherwise irregular French verbs have regular subjunctive conjugations – but there are exceptions. Stem-changing verbs and what I like to call very, extremely, or ridiculously irregular verbs have irregular subjunctive conjugations.

Stem-changing verbs

Stem-changing verbs have a two-stem subjunctive conjugation.

1) The present tense third person plural (ils) conjugation provides the stem for singular as well as third person plural subjunctive conjugations (just as it does for regular verbs), the upshot of which is that the stem change occurs in these conjugations.

2) The stem for the first and second person plural is based on the present tense first person plural (nous) conjugation.

		lever	jeter	essayer
present tense:	ils	lèvent	jettent	essaient
	stem	lèv-	jett-	essai-
subjunctive endings
… que je / j’	-e	lève	jette	essaie
… que tu	-es	lèves	jettes	essaies
… qu’il/elle/on	-e	lève	jette	essaie
… qu’ils/elles	-ent	lèvent	jettent	essaient
present tense:	nous	levons	jetons	essayons
	stem	lev-	jet-	essay-
subjunctive endings
… que nous	-ions	levions	jetions	essayions
… que vous	-iez	leviez	jetiez	essayiez

Very irregular verbs

Very irregular verbs*  follow this same two-stem pattern:

		devoir	prendre	tenir
present tense:	ils	doivent	prennent	tiennent
	stem	doiv-	prenn-	tienn-
subjunctive endings
… que je	-e	doive	prenne	tienne
… que tu	-es	doives	prennes	tiennes
… qu’il/elle/on	-e	doive	prenne	tienne
… qu’ils/elles	-ent	doivent	prennent	tiennent
present tense:	nous	devons	prenons	tenons
	stem	dev-	pren-	ten-
subjunctive endings
… que nous	-ions	devions	prenions	tenions
… que vous	-iez	deviez	preniez	teniez

 * As opposed to irregular verbs that have regular subjunctive conjugations.

Extremely irregular verbs

Seven extremely French verbs have irregular subjunctive stems but take the same endings. Of these,

• faire, pouvoir, and savoir have a single subjunctive stem
• aller, valoir, and vouloir follow the two-stem pattern: one for the singular and the third person plural conjugations, and the other for the first and second person plural

	faire	pouvoir	savoir	aller	valoir	vouloir
stems	fass-	puiss-	sach-	aill- / all-	vaill- / val-	veuill- / voul-
… que je / j’	fasse	puisse	sache	aille	vaille	veuille
… que tu	fasses	puisses	saches	ailles	vailles	veuilles
… qu’il/elle/on	fasse	puisse	sache	aille	vaille	veuille
… que nous	fassions	puissions	sachions	allions	valions	voulions
… que vous	fassiez	puissiez	sachiez	alliez	valiez	vouliez
… qu’ils/elles	fassent	puissent	sachent	aillent	vaillent	veuillent

And number 7? The impersonal verb falloir has only one subjunctive conjugation: … qu’il faille.

Ridiculously irregular verbs

Of course, the ridiculously irregular verbs avoir and être remain true to form in the subjunctive, with two irregular stems as well as irregular endings:

		avoir		être
… que je / j’		aie		sois
… que tu		aies		sois
… qu’il/elle/on		ait		soit
… que nous		ayons		soyons
… que vous		ayez		soyez
… qu’ils/elles		aient		soient

 Subjunctive Quizzes

Think you’ve got it? Test yourself on the French subjunctive with these fill-in-the-blanks exercises:

• À la bibliothèque
• Changement de programme
• Se préparer pour sortir

Note: You must be logged into your Progress with Lawless French account to take these tests. If you don’t have one, sign up – it’s free!

  More French subjunctive

• Introduction to the subjunctive
• Regular subjunctive conjugations
• Irregular subjunctive conjugations
• Subjunctive conjugations – PwLF super list
• The Subjunctivisor!
• La chanson du subjonctif
• Introduction to verbs
   

 French Lesson Plans

• Using the French Subjunctive (Project, 9th-12th grade)
• Synopsis: French Indicative and Subjunctive Forms (Worksheet, 8th-19th grade)
   

 En español

• Subjuntivo: conjugaciones irregulares
   

 Share / Tweet / Pin Me!